A mad scientist named Jim Jannard began questioning the limits of industry standards. "No one believed my ideas," said Jim. "No one would listen." In 1975, he went into business for himself. Jim started Oakley with $300 and the simple idea of making products that work better and look better than anything else out there.

In his garage lab, Jim developed a new kind of motorcycle handgrip with a unique tread and a shape that fit the rider's closed hand. "Everything in the world can and will be made better," Jim told skeptics, "The only questions are, when and by whom?" Top pros took notice of the new design and its material that actually increased grip with sweat.

For Jim, that meant challenging the limits of conventional thinking. His homespun company was struggling yet his next invention would become a mainstay in MX racing for 17 years. Jim created the O Frame goggle with a lens curved in the perfect arc of a cylinder. Pros like Mark Barnett, Marty Smith, Johnny O'Mara and Jeff Ward championed its clarity and wide peripheral view.

Decades of innovation brought new product technologies, blends of science and art that have been awarded more than 600 patents worldwide. Today, Jannard's brand has become the mark of excellence and the solution to challenges facing those who cannot compromise on performance.